Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a world gone
mad.
This is a world gone mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
It's another day in a worldgone mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
I'm back again to give mycommentary on the news, so thank
you for joining me.
So let's talk about today'smadness, and in no particular
(00:22):
order RFK Kennedy's CDC overhauland vaccine chaos.
Within the last 36 hours,health Secretary Robert F
Kennedy Jr dismissed all 17members of the CDC's Advisory
Committee on ImmunizationPractices and replaced them with
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only seven individuals afterone declined, many of whom are
known vaccine skeptics who haveties to anti-vaccine advocacy
groups.
Now the restructuring broke.
Longstanding protocols forexpert review sparked immediate
backlash.
The American Academy ofPediatrics refused to
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participate, citing ananti-science tone to the new
members.
Now even Reuters highlightsthat insurers may reevaluate
whether they'll cover vaccinesendorsed by this reshaped panel,
given that US health plans relyon ACIP recommendations for
coverage decisions.
Now, at its first meeting, thenew ACIP postponed votes on
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crucial updates like RSVantibody use and the combined
MMRV for children, and evenreopened debate on thimerosal, a
preservative long deemed safe,triggering alarm among public
health authorities.
Now, with CDC staff sidelinedand evidence-based process
derailed, the panel's legitimacyis in question, creating a risk
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of fragmented guidance acrossstates.
Colorado has already approvedalternate expert vaccine boards
and disrupted insurance coverage.
Experts warn this patchworkcould lead to lower immunization
rates, worsen the currentmeasles outbreak and undermine
decades of trust in publichealth.
Repetitive from me, but isn'tit nice to know that RFK Jr is
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in charge of the nation's health?
Yes, sarcasm.
Vaccines are in question.
We may not even have access tothem.
My girlfriend and I were justdiscussing this and we are
incredulous that this is the manwho decides life and death for
the citizens of America.
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Trump at NATO summit, rebuttingearly intel on Iran's strikes.
Now, at the NATO summit in theHague, president Trump ardently
defended the US-Israeli strikeson Iranian nuclear facilities,
comparing their effort, orrather effect, to the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima andNagasaki and claiming they
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knocked them for a loop.
He dismissed an early CIA andDIA report, labeling it
inconclusive and fake news, andemphasized that further
intelligence, including on-siteevaluations, confirms the sites
are obliterated, even as theinitial leak suggested only a
few months setback for Iran.
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Now, flanked by Secretary ofState Marco Rubio and Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth, whoaccused leaked sources of
political motivation andlaunched an FBI inquiry into
Trump aimed to discreditskepticism and reaffirm
confidence in his militarydecision.
Trump's robust defense of thestrikes also served to reinforce
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the administration's broaderdiplomatic posture at NATO,
endorsing unified defensecommitments, announcing
forthcoming US-Iran talks nextweek and positioning the US as a
decisive security guarantor.
Now, meanwhile, leaks andconflicting narratives stirred
concern.
Now, meanwhile, leaks andconflicting narratives stirred
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concern.
Opponents argue Trump's publicdenials undermine trust in
intelligence institutions andrisk discord within NATO,
particularly as European alliesgrasp for clarity on the actual
damage in Iran over intelligencenot only spotlights the
credibility of US agencies, butalso raises questions about how
much media leaks could influencepublic and international
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opinion during sensitivemilitary diplomacy.
I don't know who's right, butit's typical of Trump's bravado.
You know, remember the biggest,the greatest in history, the
most massive destruction, thelargest amount of money raised.
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You know all the things Trumpsaid in the past, so you be the
judge whether he's accurateabout the destruction of the
nuclear facilities in Iran.
Immigration transfers the USSupreme Court issued a 6-3 order
allowing the Trumpadministration to resume
deporting migrants to so-calledthird countries nations other
than their countries of origin,without providing prior notice
or chance for them to challengethe transfers.
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Now the decision stayed a lowercourt injunction that had
required migrants to have ameaningful opportunity to raise
fears of torture or persecution.
Although the majority offeredno detailed explanation for the
ruling, liberal justices, led bySonia Sotomayor, strongly
dissented, warning the rulingexposed migrants to substantial
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grounds for torture or death andcriticizing the court's move as
an abuse of judicial power.
Now the judgment impacts realcases immediately.
The administration had preparedto return eight migrants, some
convicted of violent offenses,to countries like South Sudan,
despite one federal courtkeeping that specific ban in
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place for now.
Now immigration advocates arguethe policy risks violating
international human rightsobligations, particularly under
the UN Convention AgainstTorture, by enabling rapid
deportations without due process.
Now, while the governmentframes this as restoring
executive flexibility to removecriminal non-citizens, legal
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experts caution that vulnerablemigrants could be sent to
unstable or dangerousenvironments without the
opportunity to voice theirconcerns in court.
That's right.
Let's ship them out.
Rolling, rolling, rolling.
Keep those doggies rolling,move them out, head them out,
get them the hell out of ourcountry.
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Way to go.
Supreme Court, trump's megabill, what it is and why it's
stalled.
As July 4th looms, senate GOPleaders are racing to piece
together provisions extendingTrump's 2017 tax cuts, adding
new tax breaks for tips andovertime, and increasing
spending on border security anddefense while offsetting costs
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with deep Medicaid and SNAP cuts.
However, internal divisions aremounting.
Moderate senators like SusanCollins and Tom Tillis are
pushing back on proposedMedicaid reductions and threats
to rural hospitals, whileconservatives such as Rand Paul
and Ron Johnson demand evendeeper cuts.
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On top of that, several keyprovisions were struck down by
the Senate parliamentarian underthe Byrd rule, requiring any
reconciliation bill to focusstrictly on budget matters,
forcing significant rewrites andputting the July 4th target in
doubt.
Now, in response, presidentTrump has ramped up pressure,
hosting a White House event witheveryday Americans to sway
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wavering Republicans, warninglegislators that no one goes on
vacation until the bill ispassed.
Now, despite this show of force,some GOP senators remain wary
of the bill's fiscal impact.
The CBO projects it could add$2.4 to $2.8 trillion to the
debt over a decade.
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Democrats have firmly pledgedto oppose it and the loss of
even a few Republican votescould block the bill, especially
if it can't clear the Byrd rulehurdles to proceed via
reconciliation.
Now, as it stands, thelegislation is locked in a high
stakes crossfire of policypriorities, procedural
constraints and internalpressure, all under a fast
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shrinking clock.
So here comes the divisionswithin the Republican Party.
Oh no, some Republicansactually think there's something
wrong with this big beautifulbill.
You think something wrong withthis big beautiful bill.
You think, okay, I'm going todiscuss the major pending US
Supreme Court cases for thesummer of 2025.
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I'm going to tell you the case,what's still waiting for a
ruling from the Supreme Court ofthe cases and the ramifications
of that ruling.
First up, birthright citizenshipand nationwide injunctions need
to be decided.
The Supreme Court is reviewingwhether lower federal courts
have the constitutionalauthority to issue nationwide
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injunctions that halt federalpolicies, in this case, trump's
2025 executive order denyingbirthright citizenship to
children of undocumentedimmigrants and temporary visa
holders.
Now, the key question is notthe constitutional right to
citizenship itself, but whethera single federal judge can
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impose nationwide blocks onexecutive actions.
Now the ramifications of this adecision limiting such
injunctions could weaken thejudiciary's ability to quickly
halt sweeping executive orders,creating a patchwork of
enforcement across differentjurisdictions.
If the court preserves broadinjunction powers, it reaffirms
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the court's role as a primarycheck on executive overreach.
Another ruling that's up for theSupreme Court Mahmoud v Taylor
religious opt-outs in publicschools.
Now, in this case, the courtwill decide whether parents in
public schools have the right toopt their children out of
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lessons involving LGBTQ plusthemes based on their religious
objections.
The case stems from a Marylandschool district that removed an
opt-out policy for inclusiveearly grade storybooks,
triggering legal actions fromreligious parents.
Citing First Amendmentprotections Now ramifications.
A ruling in favor of theparents would grant broader
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religious exemptions in publiceducation, potentially
complicating curriculum planningnationwide.
On the other hand, siding withthe school district could
reinforce state and localauthority to mandate inclusive
education policies withoutreligious carve-outs.
Another thing waiting rulingfrom the Supreme Court Landor v
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Louisiana religious rights ofincarcerated individuals.
Now this case asks whetherprisoners can sue individual
correctional officers formonetary damages under the
Religious Land Use andInstitutionalized Persons Act
for violations of religiousrights.
Lower courts are split onwhether this permits personal
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liability or only injunctiverelief.
Now the ramifications of theruling from the court.
A ruling allowing damages couldforce prisons to revise staff
training and religiousaccommodation procedures.
Denial of such claims wouldlimit inmates' legal remedies to
system-wide reforms and reducepersonal accountability for
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prison staff accused ofreligious discrimination.
Next up on the docket for theSupreme Court Trump versus the
AFGE executive control overcivil service jobs.
This case involves an emergencyappeal by the Biden
administration to block Trump'sreclassification of thousands of
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federal civil service jobs.
Trump's executive actionssought to strip employment
protections from certain agencyworkers, effectively allowing
mass firings or reassignmentsbased on political loyalty or
performance.
The ramifications when thecourt rules that the court
upholds Trump's authority,future presidents could
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drastically reshape the federalworkforce, potentially
politicizing civil service jobs.
A ruling against Trump woulduphold longstanding protections
and reinforce Congress's role inmanaging government employment
structures.
And finally, up on the docketmajor ruling coming up for the
Supreme Court DHS, deportationand convention against torture
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compliance.
The court is reviewing whetherthe Department of Homeland
Security can deport asylumseekers to third countries where
they credibly fear torture.
We talked about this earlier,raising questions about
compliance with the UnitedNations Convention Against
Torture.
The case emerged after lowercourts blocked certain removals,
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arguing that asylum protectionswere being violated.
Now the ramifications rulingfavoring the DHS could
accelerate removals and reduceinternational protections for
migrants.
If the court blocks thedeportations, it would
strengthen US obligations underinternational law and reinforce
the rights of asylum seekersfleeing credible threats.
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We saw that the court ruled 6-3to allow mass deportations to
take place by Trump.
So some obvious conservativerulings from the Supreme Court.
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Donald Trump criticizes FedChair Jerome Powell, calling him
an average mentally person, lowIQ for what he does and a very
stupid person for refusing tolower interest rates amid his
tariff-driven push to reduce USdebt expenses.
Amid his tariff-driven push toreduce US debt expenses, trump
argues that high interest ratesare inflating government
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borrowing costs, potentiallyadding hundreds of billions of
dollars annually, and insiststhat Powell's resistance is a
failure of economic leadership.
Despite multiple insults, trumpclaims he does not intend to
remove Powell before his currentterm ends in May 2026, a
decision that requires Senateconfirmation and is protected
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under Fed independence rulings.
Continuing his critique of thecentral bank stance, trump
revealed he is vetting three orfour potential candidates to
succeed Powell after his termconcludes.
Among the rumored contendersare former federal Fed Governor
Christopher Waller, kevin Warsh,kevin Hassett and even Treasury
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Secretary Scott Pesent, allviewed as more amenable to
aggressive rate cuts.
While Trump frames this as astrategic pivot to
intellectually strong economicleadership, the moves have
intensified debate aboutprotecting the Fed's
longstanding independence,underscored by a recent Supreme
Court ruling that limitspresidential control over the
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central bank.
I am absolutely shocked.
Trump doesn't like someone.
He thinks that person has a lowIQ and is inept.
Never what I guessed this ishow he would feel about Chairman
Powell.
Donald Trump the OneNote Sambakeeps dancing on.
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Career Builder and Monster filefor bankruptcy.
On June 24, 2025, careerBuilder and Monster, the twin
titans of 1990s onlinerecruiting, filed for Chapter 11
in Delaware nearly a year aftertheir merger.
Now the combined company, nowbacked by Apollo and Randstad,
reported $50 to $100 million inassets against a heavier $100 to
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$500 million in liabilities.
Citing a challengingmacroeconomic environment and
fierce competition fromplatforms like Indeed and
LinkedIn.
With subscriber bases shrinkingand AI-driven recruitment
turning job posting into volumerather than value, the company
couldn't regain the networkeffect needed to thrive.
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As part of restructuring careerbuilder, monster is selling its
core operations in acourt-supervised auction.
Now, job board services areslated for acquisition by JobGet
, while Monster's media sites.
While Monster's media sites,for example, militarycom and
FastWebcom, are set to go toValNet, and government software
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services will be sold to ValSoft.
The company is also obtaining a$20 million
debtor-in-possession loan tomaintain payroll and vendor
payments.
Analysts say the collapse ofthese once-domin dominant
platforms underscores atransformative shift.
Recruitment is moving away fromlegacy job boards toward
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AI-powered, relationship-drivenhiring, and the survivors are
those who innovate quickly.
You know I use these for jobsmany times.
I'm sure you have in the pastAmazing of something that was so
normal is now going away due toAI.
Ai is not a factor in any otherindustry, is it?
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Yeah, ok, all right, let's getto my uplifting news story for
this episode Very interesting.
Sleep trailer Eight tiny podsbringing dignity and hope to
Oregon's homeless.
In Lebanon, oregon 39-year-oldnonprofit leader, jason
Christensen, responded to apoignant question why aren't we
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helping?
So he answered that by buildingthe Sleep Trailer.
It's a mobile haven with eightlockable pods, each equipped
with privacy-protected windows,bedding, heating and cooling and
personal storage.
Inspired by Capsule Hotel'sclean designs and fueled by his
$65,000 personal investment plusa bank loan, the trailer
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launched in early 2025 inpartnership with Crossroads
Communities.
Now, over a three-month pilotperiod, sleep Trailer offered
nightly shelter to 35individuals, empowering 18 to
transition into permanenthousing, highlighting how simple
solutions can catalyze realchange.
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The real breakthrough of SleepTrailer isn't just shelter, it's
stability.
Residents report their thirdnight inside sparks hope and
clarity for them.
One man secured housing thefinal day of the pilot program.
Another couple living in theircar saved enough, while
sheltered, to take steps for thefuture.
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The pods provide safety andstructure.
Guests sign agreements, respectquiet hours and are checked in
nightly.
Local leaders say the trailermay not only save lives.
It restores dignity, mentalhealth and momentum toward
self-sufficiency.
Jason said he plans to expandthe model statewide, adding ADA
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accessible units, adjoining podsfor families and partnering
with disaster response teams.
What a very cool idea and tohear about the restorative
powers mentally, emotionally andphysically very powerful these
sleep trailers.
I really hope they catch on,not just statewide but
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nationwide.
You're listening to A WorldDone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
I'll be back again Friday withanother episode waiting to hear
from you, and if I don't, thenI'm sitting in a room talking to
myself.
Stay hopeful.
There is chaos in the world,can't you see?
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Hopeful.